the Killing Sword
by TheBadPanda
Summary: Yamada Hanatarō wanted to be a medic. But the universe has a sense of humor, instead having a Zanpakuto that heals anything it cuts, Hanataro has a Zanpakuto that could bring an end to all life and within. The most frightening creature in the history of Seretei is his Zanpakuto Spirit. It's called the Queen Mother.
1. Chapter 1

Hi fellas. Here is a new story.

FYI this is not an original work. The premise is based off " _Hanataro: Prince of Xenomorphs_ " by Rikion. I give him full credit as to the origin of this story and encourage everyone to view it. This story was not done with Rikon's permission, I tried to contact him/her and received no response.

I am not entirely familiar with the appropriate etiquette, I hope it will not cause a problem.

That being said I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 1

The Queen Mother did not so much awaken but animate into consciousness as if a dozen leaves of psyche suddenly bonded together to form one entity. A big entity, with a rather hostile outlook on the world.

She hissed into the void and the void responded in kind with a desolate echo. Her proboscis-like tongue slowly creeped out of her jaws tasting the air with snapping teeth.

She found herself which was a dark void. It was not a cave or pit or anything that implied walls, ceilings or floors. It was an endless abyss stretching beyond without horizon or reference of time or space. It was devoid of any form of light or life.

Reaching out with her senses, but she could hear nothing, feel nothing, and see nothing. As far as she could tell, she was the only thing alive in this dark desolate place.

The creature was alone. Utterly alone.

That was unacceptable.

How she yearned to have Children. But you cannot have something for nothing; no life meant no host. No hosts! No Children! Nothing! She could do nothing, she was nothing. What is the point of Queen if there is no kingdom?!

The creature opened her jaws and uttered an earthshaking roar that would sent any other creature, running in fear of the massive monster. The shriek carried a message of rage and loneliness to the edge of the abyss.

0o0o0o

Hanataro shot up from his bed, scared out of his wits by whatever nightmare he had. He scanned the room several times on instinct, ensuring whatever he imagined was not alone in the room with him. Relieved at his solitude, Hanataro slumped back onto his bed, taking the time to calm down his heart. _What the hell was that?_

A sudden clang sent the diminutive Shinigami's heart back into overdrive. "GAH!"

Locking onto the source, he found the cause of the disturbance. His sword fell out of its stand, and landed on the floor with about as much grace as a brick.

Hanataro sighed, pulling the sheets away to get out of bed. He picked up the sword and put it back in its place, after looking it over he could see no reason for his sword to fall.

The blade was nondescript, it looked no different than the blades of the other Academy students. It was not uncommon for him to lose it or mix it with someone else, something he gets chastised for on a regular basis. That being said, something looked different about it now. The noticeable thing he could pick up was the hilt was darker in colour. _Strange…._ Hanataro shook his head, _ugh I'm just imagining things._

The boy yawned and slowly headed back to bed, he had a big day in a few hours. Little did he notice the blade behind him was rattling by an unseen force; a signal that something took notice of the sleeping Shinigami.

0o0o0o

Yamada Hanataro groaned as he woke up. It was only until he got out of bed did he stretch himself out, his body clicking and cracking in both objection and relief. He never enjoyed the generic beds the Academy provided. They were uncomfortable and the mattresses were so thin, Hanataro wondered why they bothered to include them at all. Back pain was a common complaint from the students of the Shinigami Academy, at least the ones who were actually resident in the Academy dormitories the majority of whom could barely afford a new mattress.

 _Thankfully it is nothing that could not be solved with a hot shower,_ Hanataro smiled as he headed to the bathroom.

Yamada Hanataro had been at the Academy for almost a year now, something that amazed even him. His size, posture and confidence screamed out 'would not last a month'; there was even a betting pool on it. Naturally many fellow student attempted to weasel him out of the Academy by their 'set date', but he persevered much to their surprise. However, that did not stop the small Yamada from being the target of many pranks and cruel jokes, especially on his birthday.

But despite his treatment he kept pushing forward, relying on two things to keep him going. The first was his intelligence, he may not be the most powerful Shinigami, but he knew his stuff. The same people who picked on him were the same people who 'asked' (i.e. bullied) him to do their homework and assignments.

The second and more important factor was his brother Seinosuke, who wrote to him on a semi-regular basis. The letters were not poetry, mere simple words of encouragement, the odd tip on a particularly hard problem, the offhand compliment on good grades; but they were enough.

Hanataro stepped out of the shower, his body and back soothed. Changing into a fresh uniform he headed for the door, reaching for his blade on the way out.

But something caught his eye that made him pause.

His sword was different; not overly so but enough to catch his eye. He recalled his hilt normally being a generic black colour, the same as all Academy students. Now the hilt had somehow become even more dark, that or an incredibly dark blue. It had glossy and shiny look as if he was composed of a ceramic material. Reaching out he picked up his blade and raised his eyebrows in surprise, it not only looked different it felt different too.

The blade was slightly heavier, not much but definitely not what he was familiar with. The hilt felt sleek and strong in Hanataro's hand, despite the foreign touch it actually felt more comfortable to hold than before.

 _Huh…_ Hanataro puzzled, _what's going on?_ Then the alarm when. "AGH! I'm late for class!"

0o0o0o

The creature had no idea who it was but she knew this child was important.

The creature gazed through the eyes of this strange and arguably pathetic boy. She could sense his fear and uncertainty; a dismal despair that he hid so well he does not even notice it himself.

 _No wonder this place was so dark and vacant,_ the creature thought.

He had no teeth, no claws, no bladed tail, no inner mouth, nothing deadly! He seemed helpless as a lamb among lions. He was intelligent sure, his mind was full of information. But intelligent does not mean smart; he is clumsy and easily duped. Then the creature saw two males larger than this boy bothering him with insults. It caused him pain, it made him suffer. _How disappointing…_

But then she felt it, a strength in him. It shrugged off the pain, it kept the void from growing darker. The boy remained standing despite the taunts and teasing and that one of them smacked his books out of his hand.

 _Hmm,_ the creature clicker he inner tongue, _not so weak after all._

0o0o0o

"Now everyone, before we wrap up today's lesson," the imposing Ōnabara Gengorō turned to face the class, his gaze forcing everyone back into their seats, "I have one more thing to discuss."

Several of the young Shinigami shifted uncomfortably but made no movement. "How many of you have managed to communicate with your Zampakutou?"

Many confused looks graced the class, some even looked ashamed. That was all their instructor needed. "I am not impressed people; you were given your swords a year ago." The large instructor seemed to almost tower over everyone in the class, even the people who were obviously taller than him. "You should have at least been able to sense something by now. I want you, all of you, to perform the Jinzen as often as you can. You can consider this your homework, and rest assured, I will be following up. Dismissed."

The students left one by one, Ōnabara Gengorō began rubbing out today's lesson on the chalk board. _Kids these days, no respect for the art._ His thoughts were brought back when he heard a diminutive sound.

"Um…ummm…sir?" Gengorō turned to face the source, a young man of small stature. His demeanour was flawed and his face forgettable. The look on his face was one of terror and concern, as if he made a horrifying mistake. Ōnabara Gengorō was not a man who looked welcoming, he knew this. But he was a teacher and this was his student.

"Yes?" He spoke calmly.

"Uh…I'm sorry Ōnabara -sensei, but ummm I was hoping to talk about the final part of your class." The student fumbled. "About communicating with our Zamaputou?"

"Yes." Gengorō brightened up; so it seems some people have being making progress. "I take it you have already met yours, why didn't you pipe up?"

"Umm, it's just I'm not exactly sure I have." The student whispered. "I was hoping to seek your…counsel on this matter."

Gengorō's timetable was free and judging from this young initiate, so was he. "What is your name?"

"M-my name? It's Hanatarō. Yamada Hanatarō."

"Yamada?" The instructor looked the nervous academy student again. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Seinosuke would you?"

"He's my brother sir." The younger Yamada blinked. "You know him?"

"I taught him." Gengorō straightened his uniform. _Hmm, the resemblance is barely noticeable but it is there. Who would have thought someone so forgettable would be related to the vice-captain of the Forth?_ "Well, Hanataro, how can I help? Can you hear it? Has it started talking in riddles?"

"No, umm, I don't think so." Hanataro looked at his sword at his side, a mixture of confusion and fear. "I see it when I'm asleep."

"Sleep is when our mind is at our most flexible. Our mind and your Zampakutou's inner world begin bridge, albeit temporarily. It's very common to meet our Zampakutou's in our dreams."

"It wasn't a dream." Hanatarō voice sounded grating, very unlike the boy himself. It actually took the instructor back a little bit. "It's a…it's a nightmare."

 _A nightmare?_ Gengorō blinked. _That is very unusual._ Looking at Hanatarō with fresh eyes, he noticed something was off. The student's hair was a little unkempt, his skin slightly off white, but his eyes sealed it. His eyes had grey rings almost black, he has been having trouble sleeping for some time. "It normally it happens and night, but recently I have been…hearing things during the day. Sounds with no obvious source."

"Sounds?" The sensei raised a brow. "What do you hear?"

"Hissing." Hanatarō whispered, his eyes darting to the exit. "Screeching…"

"Maybe…"Gengorō licked his lips. "Maybe you should tell me from the top?"

"Yes sir." The boy sounded grateful for the prompting. "It's when I'm asleep. I'm surrounded by darkness, it's hot and humid. I see strange bulbs standing out of the ground. Then I see…"

Gengorō prompted, placing a reassuring hand on the student's shoulder. "You see…?"

"I look up and see," Hanatarō shivered, "I see something…big. Teeth." The boy took in a deep breath. "It looks at me…It doesn't have eyes but I know it is looking at me…"

"…and?"

"I scream and I wake up." Gengorō could actually feel Hanatarō sweat under his hand. "It's so vivid…it feels so real."

"How long have you been having this…event?"

"It started a few weeks ago, it happens every night. But the sounds have only occurred in the past two days." Hanatarō sighed, ignorant that his instructor's eyebrows shot up to comic heights. "Sir could my Zampakutou be…defective? Am I losing my mind?"

"No." Gengorō nearly laughed; it was a naïve question, but at the same time a legitimate one. "I have never heard of a defective Zampakutou in my lifetime and I have been around for a while."

"So what is happening?"

"Hmmm…." The head instructor puzzled, that was a good question, it is mighty unusual for a Zampakutou to give off such visions. _Could it be possible?_ "Can I hold your Zampakutou for a minute?" Hanatarō eagerly complied, handing it to him as if he would love nothing more than to be free of it. "Okay, do you clearly recall what this 'creature' of yours looks like?"

Hanatarō nodded reluctantly. Gengorō returned with a similar motion and placed the sword on the flat of his palms. "Good, close your eyes."

His student initially hesitant closed his eyes in compliance. "Here is what I want you to do," Gengorō instructed, "I want you to picture it now and hold that image no matter how much you don't want to. I want you to imagine charging forward and trying to touch it." Hanatarō squirmed slightly but made no further motion.

The result was instantaneous, Gengorō was surprised to actually feel reiatsu leak from the Zamapakutou in his hands, and it was not a little bit either. _Okay, so this 'nightmare' is definitely his Zamapakutou trying to communicate with him._ "Good, now I want you to imagine that creature, and the surroundings you found it in. Every detail you remember: the darkness, the humidity, the strange bulbs in the ground; leaving nothing out."

The effect strengthened tenfold, the reiatsu flooded the room like a tidal wave. Gengorō could actually feel heat; the kind that was beginning to hurt. "Amazing…" he whispered, _for someone so young to possess a Zampakutou this strong so soon…_ This Zampakutou warranted a final test, something that could confirm his suspicions. It required Hanatarō, and more importantly his Zampakutou to be unaware of Gengorō's intentions.

The Ha-kyō, the test of strength of the Zampakutou itself. If the spirit that dwelled within the sword was weak its reiatsu would be suppressed with minimal effort, like waves breaking against the shore. But if it was strong, it will try to fight back. The instructor channelled his own reiatsu into the Zamapakutou in his hands.

Gengorō shrieked in pain dropping the sword to the ground with an unpleasant 'clang'. Hanatarō's eyes shot open in horror. Gengorō was hoping around as if he was set alight. The reitsu that flooded out of the sword came to grinding halt.

"Ōnabara-sensei?!" Hanatarō panicked, ready to head out and call for help. He ran for the door to get someone.

"Hold Hanatarō." Gengorō's command caught the young student mid-step. "No need to worry."

Hanatarō's hand reluctantly moved away from the door slowly approaching his injured sensei. "Well I got good news Hanatarō," Gengorō mused delicately staring at the offending sword, "you have awoken your Zamapakutou. The first in your class. Congratulations."

"Sensei are you alright?" Hanatarō eyes teared up in panic and at the fear of it being his fault.

"Not exactly." Gengorō held up his hands for inspection. Hanatarō paled at the damage; his instructor's hands had been mauled, almost torn. Most of the skin had been stripped clean off. Large gashes danced around the flesh, some so deep Hanatarō could actually see bone and tendon.

"Oh no, sensei I am so sorry! I didn't mean it-" Yamada the younger's heartfelt apology was quickly cut short by a sly chuckle. "Sir?"

"You have nothing to be sorry about Hanatarō." Gengorō smirked as he looked at his injured hands. "The injuries I've sustained are all repairable. But it will require the attention of the best medic in all of Seretei."

"B-but-"

"It's okay. I'm not angry. I was counting on it," Gengorō chuckled, "your Zampakutou fought back." _Though honestly, fighting back was a tame way to put it._

The last time the instructor received an injury that severe he was testing out the Zampakutou of one Tōshirō Hitsugaya. The frost bite on his hands were so bad, it warranted the undivided attention of Unohana Retsu herself. If Gengorō tried the Ha-kyō on the famed 'ice-dragon' now it would probably turn his hands into a cold mist. Looking at his hands as they bled, the instructor realised that Hyōrinmaru was probably being polite back then.

 _This one however_ , Gengorō gazed at the blade which lay on the floor, the very ground bubbling and melting away from it, _this one has a certain malevolent viciousness about it. It is more than a fighter, it was a predator._ Ōnabara Gengorō had been at the academy a very long time. Many students come and go, dull and bleak, but every now and then a star shows up.

"Yamada Hanatarō," Gengorō looked up to the young student and despite the pain, smiled. "I'm expecting _great_ things from you."

0o0o0o

Well fellas there you go. I hope you enjoyed.

Read and Review please.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey Guys, here is the latest chapter.

Chapter 2

Hanataro was having lunch with his friends, Kira, Rukia, Hinamori and Renji. They decided to break after study and have lunch in the Academy park. Ever since his Zampakutou showed up he hardly had any free time. So to see them once again was a great relief. He basked in the sunlight, lazy listening to one of Renji's awful jokes.

He wanted to nod off when felt something cold on his hand throwing off his warm fuzzy vibe. He blinked down to see a strange black substance pooling around him, cold and sticky like glue.

His heart raced as he realised what that meant. He glanced to his friends, warning them to run, but they were gone; vanished into thin air. _Where did they go?_

His surroundings changed, he was no longer at the academy garden on a sunny day, he was in a black pit that stretched to infinity. Webs of strange black resin rose from the ground like funeral pyres and bodies of people he never met trapped in black resin moaning in pain.

 _No,_ Hanataro trembled, _not again_. He turned slowly to face what he knew to be behind him, ready for what would come next.

He gazed into the face of a creature larger than any mountain imaginable. Its body sleek and serpentine and black as the darkness surrounded them.

It let out an ear piercing shriek.

0o0o0o

Hanataro jolted out of bed, panting heavily. As expected his pyjamas were drenched in sweat. The young Shinigami cursed, something that was out of character for him, but he did it nonetheless.

He slipped out of the sheets and tiptoed around the dozens of textbooks and notes that littered the floor. He sighed as he reached for drawers for a new set of sleepwear, of which he has an ample supply.

 _This has been happening for months_ , he sulked. _And it's getting worse._

Hanataro was a nice boy if not slightly dopey, anyone who knew him longer than ten minutes would testify to that. He dreamed of pleasant things. He was timid, quiet, unfailingly polite and enjoyed the company of those he considered friends. Nothing should seem out of the ordinary.

However, Hanataro's sleep was becoming more restless with each passing night. His thoughts were interrupted by a shadowy creature hissing and spitting, turning dreams into nightmares. _My Zampakutou, something I never thought possible_. Hanataro's thoughts were interrupted by an insistent ticking.

The young Shinigami looked at the clock and groaned. It was five in the morning and he only had four hours sleep. What he would not give for another hour, but the books containing ample homework glared at him from his desk. After a moment of gazing longingly at his bed, he clicked on a light and went back to study, doing his best to ignore the hissing and growling coming from the sword that lay in the corner.

0o0o0o

A Shinigami communing with its Zampakutou is not an easy task. The rule is that a Shinigami must search within himself to find his spirit. One must quiet the mind, solidify his will and gather his strength; only then will the Shinigami have a chance to actually hear their Zampakutou calling them.

Having the strength to bring out your Zampakutou is another thing altogether, requiring the kind of iron resolve rarely seen. There is a reason why the seated officers in a division rarely change over several centuries, and captains are the cornerstones of Seretei history. It normally takes years, decades and even centuries to reach such a level.

Hanataro's sword however, was nowhere near that patient. Apparently Hanataro possessed a 'lively sword'. It's very rare but not unheard of; having a term for it was evidence enough. Only the most powerful of Zampakutou are of such a calibre, and it is also an alleged sign of a prodigy.

An example is Hyorinmaru, Zampakutou of Hitsyuga-taicho. Or even Ichimaru-taicho's famed Shinso.

However, with that power comes strings. Fame is one of them. The teachers were now expecting nothing less than great things from their newly groomed prodigy. They were making him take more classes, take more courses, and mark him more harshly. Hanatarō was being worked to the bone.

0o0o0o

It was not just a matter of ability. There was a certain amount of pride coming into play. The instructors have a vested interest in their students. A prodigy comes along once every century or so and the opportunity to teach one is too good to pass up. The reputation of teaching one is worth its weight in gold. With it comes respect and privileges. With it comes tenure and immortality.

The teachers who instructed Ichimaru Gin and Hitsugaya Tōshirō wore their fame like a badge of honor, as if they were the ones responsible for making the prodigies captains of the Gotei 13 in the first place. They took the opportunity to rub it in all the other instructors' faces. Well those instructors had their time in the sun, now it was someone else's turn.

Ōnabara Gengorō is one of those people. He missed the opportunity to teach the current captains of squad 3 and 10, he was not going to miss the chance to teach the next captain. He would be dammed if he was going to all the 'tenured' instructors grab a hold of him, he decided to share Hanataro's new Zampakutou with some of the other lesser known instructors. They seized the chance.

The day after the incident with Ōnabara-sensei, Hanataro's other instructors began to pay attention to him. The week after, all the instructors were starting to notice him, encouraging him to take classes that he never heard of all beginning with the word 'Advanced' in their title. These 'polite suggestions' were not suggestions in the slightest. They were commands.

Yamada Hanatarō was going to be their star pupil even if it killed him.

The stress of studying until late in the night, looks of derision of envious classmates and the pressure of being expected to succeed was mind racking. Add that on top of a Zampakutou who would not sit still and leaked reiatsu like a tidal wave and you end up with a sleep deprived and stressed out young man.

What Yamada Hanatarō wouldn't have given to have been a nobody; one of the faceless students in the Academy. At least he would not have to deal with the looks and the bullying. Sadly he has to deal with the sword he has been given.

0o0o0o

Hanataro stopped studying when the sun dawned. After a quick stretch he had a showered and prepared to head off to the academy. He was about to head out the door when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hold up Hanataro, you forgetting something?" The young Shinigami turned to face a young man, who was slightly older than him.

"Oh morning Seinosuke-neesan," the Shinigami smiled, "I forgot something?"

"I'll say you did." The eldest smirked. "Breakfast. A good meal to get the brain working."

"Oh thank you Seinosuke-neesan," Hanataro smiled, "but I have to head to….class…" Any explanation was cut off by a chilling sensation. Then Seinosuke used _that voice_.

" _Hanataro-chan, why don't you eat something?_ " Seinosuke was not asking and Hanataro was not stupid enough to guess otherwise. "Y-yes, Seinosuke-neesan." Hanataro sweat dropped.

"Lovely." And like that, the chilling feeling of death vanished. Seinosuke steered the still shaking Hanataro back into the house to the kitchen. What greeted Yamada the younger was a pleasant table filled with a variety of different foods.

Pancakes, rice, miso, bacon, sausages, it was a buffet. "Ah! Neesan I can't eat all this!"

"You don't have to." Seinosuke patted him gently. "But you have not been eating right, so as eldest it is my job to fatten you up. Now eat up. You have a big day."

Hanataro sat down and began eating with his brother. Although they said nothing, the young Yamada could feel the intensity of Seinosuke's hidden gaze.

Seinosuke was lieutenant of 4th Division under Unohana Retsu, a gentle captain but was not one to trifle with. After years of service, Hanataro's brother picked up many things, including how to say things in a 'pleasant but will hurt you if you don't listen' tone.

The reason for his resignation from the 4th was not explicitly stated but Hanataro suspected that it was because of his Zampakutou. Powerful Zampakutou's are rare and prized, but can be dangerous. If not controlled carefully, they could overwhelm their wielder. At best they would be injured, at worst killed.

Before his Zampakutou started brazenly trying to grab his attention, Hanataro could barely remember when his brother was around. They were like strangers for many years. Ever since Seinosuke retired from the Gotei 13, he has looked after Hanataro like a fussy mother. If anything, Hanataro was grateful to his Zampakutou, the monster that haunted his dreams, for giving him back his brother.

"How have you been sleeping?" Seinosuke question was so loaded it made one wonder why he bothered to ask.

"Not well." Hanataro mumbled with bacon in his mouth. "My Zampakutou is appearing more quickly now. It's opted for shrieking rather than hissing now."

"Hmm. Rather vocal." Seinosuke pondered. "Have you tried to converse with it?"

"No." Hanataro was surprised at how quickly he responded, it was almost like was snapping. He slightly bowed in apology, one which was accepted.

"Why not?" Seinosuke raised a brow.

"…." The young Yamada seemed _very_ focused on eating the pancakes, hoping the conversation would stop there.

"Come one Hanataro-neechan, it's a simple question, you can tell me." Seinosuke soothed. "I won't judge, I promise."

"…it scares me." Hanataro shivered at the memory of the giant thing that towered over him.

"There is a certain wisdom in being afraid of your own power." Seinosuke smiled warmly. "But you are a part of him, and he-"

"She."

Seinosuke blinked. "Excuse me?"

"My Zampakutou is not a he. It is a she." Hanataro explained taking a sip of orange juice. "I can say _that_ with certainty."

"Oh really?" Seinosuke raised his eyebrows. "Well at least you are making progress. But Hanataro, you can't keep her locked up forever, and you definitely can't ignore her. It's not to your benefit, not to mention it is just flat out rude."

"But neesan," Hanataro whined, "she's terrifying, I can't even describe it…I just wish I could show you…I think you would understand then."

"Even if you could, I wouldn't want to." Seinosuke shook his head. "This journey is your own, all of us, your instructors, your friends, myself and others; we're just guides. But if you ever want to progress up the ladder, if you want to succeed in the Gotei 13, you will have to stand your ground."

"But I don't want to stand my ground." Hanataro frowned. "I wanted to join the 4th Division like you. But my instructors are moving me away from that field into _advanced_ combat classes."

"The instructors are doing what is best for you." Seinosuke patted his brother's shoulder reassuringly. "They know more about this than anyone else. And if I may be frank from what I have heard, your Zampakutou may not a sword designed for healing."

"I know, it's just…" Hanataro mumbled, "it's just I never expected my Zampakutou to look like that. It seems, so unlike me. All I wanted to be was a medic."

"Our swords are a reflection of what is inside our soul." Seinosuke reflected on the first principles of Zampakutou. "Yamada's are known for their hidden depths. It will make sense in time."

"I hope so." Hanataro chanced to look at the clock and let out a small 'eep'. "Ahh! I'm late, I have to run Seinosuke-neesan! Thanks for breakfast!" Hanataro ran his way out the door dragging his backpack behind him.

He did not hear the sound of his brother chuckling as he cleaned up the kitchen.

0o0o0o

Gengorō glared at the late entrant to his Advanced Zanjutsu class. It was not what was done, it was who did it.

"Yamada Hanatarō!" The sensei bellowed. "What do you think this is? A vacation?! Get your ass over here, front and centre!"

"Agh! Sorry sensei!" Hanatarō stumbled forward dropping several heavy books loudly to the floor. The snickers he received from the older and far better Academy graduates made him wish the floor split and swallowed him whole.

"About time." The sensei grumbled. "We have just finished the basic exercises. You have the honor of having the first bout."

"Whaaaa-" The puny Shinigami paled. He just got assigned to this class, he has not even been able to call out his Zampakutou, and they were expecting him to fight?! Advanced Zanjutsu used your actual swords, the people in this class already know their Zampakutou's names and most have already been able to call them out. How the hell was he expected to fight that?!

"No buts." Gengorō shoved him into the centre of a small ring. "Katakura Asuka, you're in."

Hanatarō turned to face his opponent and immediately wished he hadn't. A handsome young man with flowing black hair towered over the Hanatarō's tiny frame. _I am so dead_ , he silently wept. Apparently many people shared the same conclusion. "Kick his ass back to dunce class Asuka!" Hanataro heard on student call out.

"H-h-Hi." The Shinigami 'eep'ed. Asuka's retained his frown but nodded all the same.

"You know the rules. Zamapakutou's can be released and you can use low level kido. But keep it non-lethal." Gengorō stepped back to join the students that looked on. "Begin."

Asuka immediately drew his sword. "Drown Out, **Katakage**!" His Zampakutou morphed and stretched, the blade forked into two distinct prongs near the sword's hilt. Hanataro could feel a strange humming emanating from the Zampakutou, like a tuning fork.

 _I want to go home._ Hanatarō cursed his luck. But unfortunately he could not go home, not without having his ass handed to him on a silver platter. The Shinigami reluctantly drew his sword, his hand comfortably fit around the glossy hilt.

Asuka took it as a signal and charged and brought the sword careening over Hanatarō own head. The smaller Shinigami reflexively brought his sword into a guard. Both swords clashed and for the younger Yamada, it felt as if the sky itself was crashing down on him. A strange ringing echoed in his ears as Asuka's sword rang like pain-inducing tuning fork.

But then he heard nothing. Sensed nothing. Rather than a large crash of metal against metal there was silence. Hanatarō dared to look back into his opponents eyes. Asuka took his confusion as a sign of victory, a mischievous smile on his face.

They parted swords and stepped back into their guard positions. But Hanatarō was confused, he felt odd. He could see, that much was clear. But he couldn't hear, he couldn't feel, he couldn't taste…

"Sensory deprivation…?" Hanataro whispered to himself, but it felt wrong as if his tongue was going numb. He felt the words leave his mouth, but he could not hear it. Asuka nodded in acknowledgement but when he spoke no words came out.

Hanatarō was too busy trying to compensate for his dulling senses. A dull throbbing in Hanatarō's ears deafened him to any stimuli and made him dizzy. No matter how hard he gripped he could not feel the sword in his hands. He saw a small cut along his wrist, but he could not feel the pain. _Uh-oh._ _This could be a problem_. Zampakutou that specialise in sensory alteration were the strangest and most unique kind of sword. The people who wield them, while not necessarily powerful, were terrifying fighters to behold. Even altering any of the five senses slightly can provide them with a huge advantage. Judging from the effects; Asuka's seems to negate hearing, smell, taste and most importantly, touch. _And I have no idea what my Zampakutou can do_ , Hanatarō murmured to himself.

He noticed a flicker of movement and saw Asuka coming in again for another attack, he brought his sword to protect himself. The senior student quickly rose his strange sword over his preparing to finish him off. Hanataro was almost tempted to let him judging from the effects, he would not feel it. At the same time he was not crazy or timid enough to find out. The Yamada brought his sword into a defensive neutral posture.

It was only when the sword was directly in front of his eyes did he notice something off with his blade. He could see a viscous light green liquid emanating from his Zampakutou, it was so subtle Hanataro might have dismissed it as a trick of light but it was there.

Then he noticed Asuka's sword was a few inches from hitting his shoulder. _AGH!_ Hantaro jerked his Zampakutou to the side redirecting Asuka's attack. The effect was instantaneous.

Sound flood his ears, smell and taste flooded his nositrils and tongue and touch emanated from his skin. It _hurt_. Hanataro stared down at the wound on his hand, it was still bleeding only now he could feel it. _What happened?_ Hanataro thought. _Does his Zampakutou's effect reset or disable on every alternate touch?_

But that did not seem to be the case. If the faces of their 'audience' was anything to go by, this does not happen. The students looked with mixture of confusion and surprise. Gengorō looked on with keen interest, his mind analysing what occurred. Hanataro dared to look at his opponent.

His opponent was not looking back. Asuka was more focussed on his Zampakutou and for good reason.

It was beginning to melt.

"Katakage!" He cried watching as one of the 'forks' began to melt away with eerie hissing. The throbbing humming withered and finally sputtered into silence. Asuka looked on in horror as his Zampakutou reverted back to a simple albeit malformed blade.

Asuka after staring at his broken blade for what seemed like minutes, turned his eyes settle on Hanataro and his strange sword. "You…"

Asuka slowly placed his sword on the ground near the edge of the small ring, never once taking his eyes off his opponent. Hanataro was slightly overwhelmed by the stares of his 'classmates', they weren't poking fun or sniggering; they were analysing him.

"I-…I…sorry." Hanatarō squeaked.

"I can see why you were put into our class." Asuka mused. "I underestimated you. It won't happen again." The Yamada was put off by Asuka's look; there was not anger per se, but surprise and humiliation, and what's more: curiosity. It felt odd to be taken so seriously.

"Let's see you try this." Asuka shot his hands forward. "Bakudō Number 4: **Hainawa**." A crackling yellow rope shot out of his hands like lightening zigzagging in a thousand different directions, too fast for Hanataro to track. The energy snaked around his arms and body wrapping around his body like a hungry snake, trapping him and his Zamapkutou.

"Oh…damnit…" Hanataro coughed, as he felt the energy coils clamp down on his chest, suffocating him.

"Kick his ass Asuka!" A student called out.

 _Oh what I wouldn't give for that guy to shut up!_ Hanataro grunted, trying to dislodge himself. But the more he pushed the tighter it became, he could feel his ribs crush beneath the kido's strength. _I need a miracle._

Then he heard a hissing sound, hot steam erupted around him. For a terrifying thought, he thought Asuka had hit him with another kido. But instead he felt his bonds loosen. He looked down to the source. Only to see his Zamapakutou, the green liquid oozed from the blade making contact with the reishi bonds melting them away. The kido hit the floor like a pile of dead snakes writhing and hissing. The speed at which the kido broke apart was frightening to the naked eye; Hanataro could feel the kido ebb and finally fall apart into nothing in a matter of seconds.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Hanataro stood in the centre of the ring holding his sword timidly. Asuka and his colleagues, students who have trained for many months or years, stared gobsmacked. That little runt broke through a kido, not just any kido but Asuka's speciality kido.

The Yamada was shocked himself, he never expected to get out of it. But he did, or to be more precise his Zampakutou did. The green like ooze dripped around his hands and fell to the floor, scarring the very ground in quiet fizzling.

"…I think that's enough." Their instructor finally interrupted. "Yamada, you win the bout. Asuka, I suggest you get your Zampakutou looked at. Take it to the 12th Division immediately."

Asuka nodded gingerly but he did not take his eyes off Hanatarō's Zampakutou. The elder Shinigami looked at the sword with confusion and dare it be said; fear. The sword melted his Zampakutou and his kido. He has never heard of an ability like that. No one has.

Gengorō kept his facial expression carefully neutral, but deep down he was cheering. He _knew_ it. He will admit that his faith wavered briefly, but now he just confirmed what he already knew. Hanatarō does not even know his sword's name but he managed to subconsciously call it out. But if his Zampakutou could do that in its sealed state, imagine what it could do if it was released.

Yamada's Zampakutou was mighty, which meant the wielder itself was mighty; short stature be dammed.

Yamada is a star.

His star.

Now all he had to do was convince Hanatarō to call it out.


End file.
